Have you read The 2012 Guide to the Caribbean? Get more out of SellingLongHaul.com/magazines by checking out this bumper annual supplement with insights on every member country of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation

news to use CARIBBEAN Tourism Update

CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANISATION

Prestige pushes Bermuda deals Prestige Holidays is predicting

strong growth for Bermuda as it pushes its new-look 2012 Bermuda brochure through a lead-in price of just £1015pp for seven nights. Chairman and MD, Prestige Holidays,

John Dixon, said: “Bermuda bookings are 30% up on this time last year and I am confident that our fantastic range of early booking offers, combined with free hotel nights and added value deals, will ensure business remains buoyant.” The lead-in package includes flights

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation and its members have some exciting activities planned for travel agents and reservations staff in the upcoming months. Keep up-to-date with the latest

news and find out more about what is on offer in the Caribbean, by enrolling on the Caribbean Training Programme. The programme incorporates a comprehensive training manual, the TravelFax; a filofax style manual which focuses on the key selling points for over 30 Caribbean destinations. Owning the manual is just one advantage of being on the CTP Programme. All CTP Agents will also receive a CTP Newsletter, with updates on all that’s new in the Caribbean region; including new hotel openings, agent incentives and activity/event updates, as well as advance notices of forthcoming educational trips and training opportunities. Please contact Ann-Marie Brooks

on 020 8948 0057 or email abrooks@caribtourism.com to find out more information about the programme and planned activities for 2012.

with British Airways from Gatwick, seven nights room-only accommodation at Grotto Bay Resort and private transfers. It includes two free nights and a special offer saving of £605 per couple. It is valid for departures before May 6. The operator is also actively targeting the family market this year

with second room discounts at the Fairmont Southampton Resort, Grotto Bay Resort and Elbow Beach where

Excellence Group rebrands Excellence Group is repositioning

its portfolio in two new brands, Excellence Resorts and Beloved Hotels. La Amada Hotel, in Playa Mujeres - Cancun, has become the first in the new Beloved Hotels brand and is now

TV presenter Floella Benjamin has championed the Caribbean’s cause against Air Passenger Duty in the House of Lords. Now a Liberal Democrat peer,

Trinidad-born Baroness Benjamin highlighted the anomaly that means that APD is less if you fly to Hawaii than if you fly to Barbados, even though it’s nearly double the distance. She asked poignantly: “Would the

CARIBBEAN IN BRIEF

Grenada’s new contact The Grenada Board of Tourism

sellinglonghaul .com

has appointed Sola Thomson as sales &#38; training manager. Based in the board’s London office, Sola is now the contact for all travel industry professionals in the UK and Ireland seeking information about Grenada and sister islands Carriacou and Petite Martinique. www.Grenadagrenadines.com

De-tech with Caribtours Caribtours has launched a new digital-detox holiday in St Vincent and The Grenadines designed to ween the gadget-obsessed traveller away from their devices. The detech holiday is priced from £2,385 pp for seven nights and includes time with a life-coach before the trip or in resort. www.caribtours.co.uk

Government consider amending the rate of APD to the Caribbean islands if they nominated Bermuda, an associate member of Caricom (the Caribbean Community) as their capital, bringing their banding into line with the US, their major tourism dependent?” Treasury minister Lord Sassoon

responded: “However a banding structure works, it is bound to have anomalies.”